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Chamchiman
Joined: 24 Apr 2006
Location: Digging the Grave
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 Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 9:16 pm Post subject: TOEFL, TOEIC, TEPS, IELTS |
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I�ve got some mothers asking me what their (late-elementary) kids should be studying. TEPS? TOEFL? TOEIC? I think the kids are just going to study whatever their mother makes them study; moreover, I�m not even going to be their TEPS- or TOEFL- or TOEIC-teacher � their mothers will probably just buy them a book and tell them to �do it�. Nevertheless, I�d like to give them a brief, somewhat informed opinion on what their kids should be studying.
I�ve done a little digging using the search function, and I�ve read a few helpful comments from various posters who seem to have some experience teaching for these tests. A few things I�ve read:
| robot wrote: |
| I think the TOEFL would be fine for judging English competence. Much better than a test like SNU's TEPS, anyway. ^^ |
| marlow wrote: |
| I think the TOEFL iBT is a fair measure (of English proficiency. |
| T-dot wrote: |
TOEFL is one of the better tests out there. The route that 1 has to go about getting a seat is a different story. Im pretty sure the OP is talking about TEPS ( I hope he isnt). My take; the government wants to support the use of TEPS because its
a) made by Seoul University
b) keeps the money in Korea
c) the korean gov't most likely is getting a piece of the action (bribery... cough ...cough.... bribery) |
| Wikipedia wrote: |
| Towards the end of 2005, there was a shift in South Korea, regarded as the second biggest consumer of TOEIC, or rather the biggest in terms of per capita consumption, away from the test as a measure of English ability on the corporate level. As noted in The Chosun Ilbo national daily, a number of major corporations have either removed or reduced the required TOEIC score for employment. An official from the Industrial Bank of Korea says, "TOEIC isn't an appropriate indicator of actual English skills." Another English proficiency test, TEPS, has been developed and is being adopted by more and more Korean companies. |
However, I�ve also read a few articles which were to the effect that some companies in Korea are just developing their own tests and aren�t lending much weight to TOEFL or TOEIC scores any more:
Magic Solution to English Proficiency
And doesn�t what the kids should be studying depend on their future goals? Staying in Korea - TEPS? Studying abroad at a university - TOEFL? Working in Korea - TOEIC?
And I haven't even mentioned IELTS, about which my university's website said:
| Quote: |
| IELTS is the world�s proven English language test. You can trust IELTS to provide test results that are secure, reliable and understood. Thousands of education institutions, government agencies and professional organisations throughout the world recognise IELTS scores as a trusted and valid indicator of ability to communicate in English. |
And perhaps most importantly, can anybody give me any more insight into which way the wind is going to be blowing a few years down the road?
Any insight or comments about these tests, their use by Koreans, and their future use here in Korea would be appreciated. |
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PRagic
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 1:06 am Post subject: |
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Wrong question to be asking. No student should be studying an exam. Students who seek proficiency study the language. Grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, and then speaking. They know the drill, they just want the quick pill. No such animal.
The trend away from standardized testing is driven by frustration in the market. Foreign grad schools are tired of accepting Korean students into their programs only to find out that they can't function in the community let along the classroom. Employers are tired of hiring Koreans with stellar test scores who can't get through a business lunch. |
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Chamchiman
Joined: 24 Apr 2006
Location: Digging the Grave
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| Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 2:24 am Post subject: |
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| PRagic wrote: |
| Wrong question to be asking. |
While I happen to agree with you, it isn't really me who's asking. It's the 'customers' (who are always right). As someone who doesn't know a whole lot about any of these tests, I'm just asking a few basic questions to try to get my head around the current state of things with respect to their application in Korea now and, more importantly, a few years down the road so I can appear semi-informed when mothers ask me about them. (I am sposed to be an education professional after all.  ) |
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cedarseoul
Joined: 16 Feb 2008
Location: nowon-gu
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| Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 6:06 am Post subject: |
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| I manage the test prep program for my academy. We emphasize TOEFL, and our course materials are geared toward this test. Personally, I think it's valuable stuff - the kids learn speaking and listening skills, they hone their vocabulary and comprehension, and we have some great conversations. It all depends on what you make out of it...teaching THROUGH the test doesn't necessarily mean "teaching the test", if that makes sense... |
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Thiuda
Joined: 14 Mar 2006
Location: Religion ist f�r Sklaven geschaffen, f�r Wesen ohne Geist.
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| Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 7:01 am Post subject: Re: TOEFL, TOEIC, TEPS, IELTS |
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| Chamchiman wrote: |
I�ve got some mothers asking me what their (late-elementary) kids should be studying. TEPS? TOEFL? TOEIC?
[] I�d like to give them a brief, somewhat informed opinion on what their kids should be studying. |
The standardized tests you list are not designed for students younger than 16. The different purposes of the TOEFL and TOEIC tests are outlined by ETS in their FAQ section:
| Quote: |
| The TOEFL� test was created for foreign students seeking admission to undergraduate and graduate programmes in North America. The test hence is a measure of English used in academic settings. On the other hand, TOEIC� certifies competence in business English. |
In the same FAQ, ETS describes the contexts from which questions on the TOEIC are taken:
| Quote: |
# Corporate Development: research, product development
# Dining out: business and informal lunches, banquets, receptions, restaurant reservations
# Entertainment: cinema, theatre, music, art, exhibitions, museums, media
# Finance and Budgeting: banking, investments, taxes, accounting, billing
# General Business: contracts
# Health: medical insurance, visiting doctors, dentists, clinics, hospitals
# Housing/Corporate Property: construction, specifications, buying and renting, electric and gas services
# Manufacturing: assembly lines, plant management, quality control
# Offices: board meetings, committees, letters, memoranda, telephone, fax and e-mail messages, office equipment and furniture, office procedures
# Personnel: recruiting, hiring, retiring, salaries, promotions, job applications, job advertisements, pensions, awards
# Purchasing: shopping, ordering supplies, shipping, invoices
# Technical Areas: electronics, technology, computers, laboratories and related equipment, technical specifications
# Travel: trains, airplanes, taxis, buses, ships, ferries, tickets, schedules, stations and airport announcement, car rentals, hotels, reservations, delays and cancellations |
These tests are unsuitable for elementary students; the language is at an intermediate to advanced level and the subject matter requires maturity most children lack.
Nevertheless, I have taught TOEIC and TOEFL to a number of middle school students, using the most basic/beginner level prep books I could find. The students, who were all intermediate speakers of English, had little trouble keeping up with the material. I personally prefer teaching the TOEFL test, as the material is more school oriented - with topics from science, social science, history...etc.
All of the tests follow a similar format; referent identification (which noun does a pronoun refer to), vocabulary questions, inference questions, insertion tasks, etc. |
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robot
Joined: 07 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 8:14 am Post subject: |
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Tell your parents you cannot recommend anything until you know their kids' future plans.
For example, if they want their kids to get into a top-tier middle school like Cheongshim the students will need high marks on the TOSEL (another horrible test).
I have taught TOEFL for 6 years and find it a great test for its purpose -- testing understanding of English as it's used in university settings. But I strongly disagree with its misuse in Korea as a general measure of English proficiency even at the elementary level.
If the parents have no goal in mind, but simply want their kids to get practice with test prep, maybe you can convince them that general skills practice at such a young age would be much appropriate and useful. |
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Chamchiman
Joined: 24 Apr 2006
Location: Digging the Grave
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| Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 1:36 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the replies.
| robot wrote: |
| Tell your parents you cannot recommend anything until you know their kids' future plans......If the parents have no goal in mind, but simply want their kids to get practice with test prep, maybe you can convince them that general skills practice at such a young age would be much appropriate and useful. |
Yep, that's what I'm going to do. I guess these mothers are just a little more gung-ho than others, perhaps on account of the fact that their kids both lived abroad for a couple of years. ("Jin-ho studied in the USA for four years, and he's studying TOEFL so...")
What about TEPS? I know what it is, but I don't know much about it compared to other tests other than what I've heard about it. (Apparently it's heavy on the vocabulary). Some posters seem to take a cynical or dismissive view of TEPS (robot, T-dot), but if you believe what you read on the internet it seems that more and more mothers in Korea are turning towards TEPS for their kids' test prep. What kinds of kids are studying for this test, why did they choose to study for it, and why do teachers seem to give it  s? |
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